Double tank water heater and incinerator



June 9, 1953 M.'J. TIERNEY DOUBLE TANK WATER HEATER AND INCINERATORoriginal Filed'Feb. 15, 1959 IN VENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented June 9, 1953DOUBLE TANK WATER HEATER AND INCINERATOR Michael J. Tierney, Rochester,N. Y.

Substituted for abandoned application Serial No.

256,547, February 15, 1939. April 21, 1952, Serial No. 283,295

This application 3 Claims. (Cl. 122-2) The invention relates to a doubletank water heater and incinerator. This application is a substitute forapplication Serial Number 256,547, iiled February 15, 1939, nowabandoned.

A primary obj ect of the invention is to utilize, in a water heater andincinerator, to better eiTect the heat ordinarily wasted from a gaswater heater; to provide for extracting more heat from the waste gasesby extending the heat travel thereof without any attendant precipitationor condensation of the burnt gases, whereby the burnt gases may beeiectively used for the heating of water and a considerable saving inthe consumption of fuel is effected.

Another object of the invention is to provide a double tank water heaterand incinerator adapted to effect a considerable saving in theconsumption of gas whether or not refuse is burned and with no attendantprecipitation or condensation of the burnt gas.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination water heaterand incinerator having a lower primary burner heated storage tank and anupper secondary tank heated by waste gases passing from the burner ofthe primary storage tank through an incinerator and its ash pit withoutany precipitation or condensation within the ash pit or incineratorchamber, whereby the burnt gases may be effectively used for heatingwater in the secondary tank prior to the passage of the lburnt gases tothe chimney or flue to whichthe water heater and incinerator may beconnected.

A further object of the invention is to provide 'a double tank waterheater and incinerator in which a gas is burned for heating water in aprimary storage tank and the burnt gas subsequently utilized for dryinggarbage and other refuse thereby eliminating the Vodors incident to theburning of wet garbage.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a double tank waterheater and incinerator having a lowerburner heated storage tank and anupper secondary tank and provided between the tanks with an incineratorcomprising an upper combustion chamber and a lower ash pit, whereby theburnt gases may be caused to travel ,upwardly from a burner at thebottom of the primary storage tank and pass around the ash pit andthrough the combustion chamber of the incinerator for drying refusetherein and iinally pass upwardly through the secondary tank for heatingWater therein prior to the discharge of the burnt gases into a chimneyor ue whereby a maximum amount of heat is extracted from the burnt gasesand dry refuse may be burned in the incinerator to supplement the actionof the burnt gases in heating the Water within the secondary tank.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafterfully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointedout in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that variouschanges in the form, proportion and minor details of construction,within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departingfrom the spirit or sacricing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a double tank Water heater and incinerator4constructed in accordance with this invention. v

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View of the same on an enlarged scale,taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

In the accompanying drawings in which is illustrated the preferredembodiment of the invention the double tank water heater and incineratorcomprises in itsJ construction an outer casing I constructed. ofgalvanized sheet metal or other suitable material and preferably ofcylindrical form but the double tank water heater and incinerator may beof any otherv desired form. The casing I which is provided with ahorizontal top wall 2 is also preferably provided with an insulatinglining 3 of mineral Wool or other suitable material which extends aroundan inner cylindrical shell la. The top wall 2 of the outer casing l ispreferably in the form of a cap and is provided with a peripheral flangei which is fitted onthe upper end of the cylindrical body portion l ofthe casing but the cap or top Wall may be secured to the body portion ofthe casing in any other desired manner.

Within the lower portion of the inner shell la is arranged a primarystorage tankt' designed to be constructed o galvanized sheet metal orother suitable material and provided with an upwardly insetconcave-convex bottom wall 5 which forms a dome shaped structure fordirecting burnt gases from a lower burner l into a vertical ue 8. Thevertical iiue 8 extends entirely through the lower primary storage tankand is provided with a baille 9 preferably of spiral form for causingthe burnt gases to .pursue a circuitous course in passing through theiiue. The top wall I of the primary storage tank is also preferably ofconcave-convex form and the burnt gases issuing from thev upper end ofthe iiue 8 pass upwardly in the inner shell IP' around an ash pit II andinwardly over the top of the same and through 'a' grate .I2 into theincinerator combustion chamber I3.

The burner 'I may be of any desired construction and the gas supply pipeI4 is provided with a gas valve I5 and is also equipped with a pilotlight assembly I6 of standard constructionand'a thermostat I'I also ofstandard construction controls the feeding of gas to the burner. Asthese features are of the ordinary construction and do not constitute aportion ofthe presentinvention further description thereof is deemedunnecessary. Leading off from the top of the primary storage tank 5 tothe house service line is a hot water supply pipe IB. Connected with thepipe .I8 is a-satety valve or blow-off 48 which operates automaticallyas a relief'should .the ,temperature inthe tank 5 becometoo high'. Adrain ypipe IQ for the tank 5 is located at the bottom of the tank .andis equipped with a control valvel.

The ash pit which is designed to be constructed of suitable sheet metalis .closed at the sides and bottom and is within, and spaced from, `theinner shell Ia to provide vertical passages 28 to permit the burnt gasesto pass upward around ash and over the top thereof into the incinera'torcombustion chamber I3 as indicated by the ar .rows in Fig. 2 ofthedrawings. The ash pit is bolted to the inner shell Iabut othersuitable means may be employed. for mounting or securing the ash pit inthe relation stated within said shell. `The casing I is provided at thefront with a4 door 2i of cast iron or other suitable material coveringaligned openings through the casing and inner shell to afford access tothe pit for 'the removal of Vashes therefrom. Also the casingand inneryshell are provided at the back with screened openings 22 opposite thespace 23 between the ash pit and the top of the primary or storage tank,and opening to the outside of the casing to :furnish draft t0 thecombustion chamber and to permit escape of burned gases should there beany stoppage of the flue leading to the chimney.

The incinerator combustion chamber is provided. with a corrugatedfire-pot lining 24 of galvanized sheet metal or other suitable materialpreferably composed of separable sections 25 and hung detachably onhooks tit mounted on the inner shell I and forming rigid supports forthe sections of the nre pot lining of the incinerator combustionchamber. The detachable connection between the sections lof the iire potlining 24 and the shell Ia will enable any section of the re pot liningwhen burnt out to be readily removed and replaced by a new section. Thecasing and shell are provided at the front with a re pot door 21 of castiron or other suitable material covering openings therein which affordaccess to the incinerator or combustion chamber `to enable garbage andother refuse to be inserted in the incinerator for drying and subsequentburning.

The incinerator chamber which is open at the top is arranged in theshell I in spaced relation below lan upper secondary tank 26 adapted tosupply preheated Water to the primary storage tank 5 and designed to Ibeconstructed of hot dipped galvanized sheet metal or other suitablematerial. The upper secondary tank 23 which is of cylindrical form toconform to the conguration of the casing I is preferably ,provided withconcavoconvex top and bottom Walls 29 and 30 and a vertical flue 3Iextends entirely through the tank 28 and also through the top Wall ofthe casing I. The extended upper end 32 of the flue 3I is arrangedexteriorly -of the casing I and forms convenient means for theconnection of a smoke pipe, not shown, for connecting theidouble tankwater heater and incinerator lwith a chimney or iiue for conducting theburnt gases to the outside atmosphere.

A baffle 33 is located in the space 34 between the incinerator and theupper secondary tank 28 and preferably consists of a horizontal disk ofgreater diameter than the lower end of the vertical ue 3i and isdetachably hung from the bottom Y30 of the tank28 by means of hooks 35and loops or links 35 but any other suitable means may be employed formounting the baffle 33. The bailie Yt3 iis adapted to cause the burntgases and other products of combustion from the burner I vand also fromdry refuse burned in the incinerator, to be deflected horizontally orlateralLv and vto pass around the baieintc intimate .contact with thebottom of the secondary tank 28 and the walls of the nue 3I forextracting amaximum amount of the heat remaining in the burnt gases anda maximum amount of heat from .the products of combustion resulting from.burningr refuse within the incinerator.

Cold Water is supplied to the secondary tank 28 b y a .cold water intakepipe 31 that is connected with the city water supply system, .said pipeextending through the top of the casing -and through the top of the tank28 and depending from the top 29 of said tank 28 and terminatingadjacent the bottom wall of the tank 28. The preheated Water contained.within the tank28 is taken from the upper portion thereof by means of apipe 38 ,and is delivered to the primary storage tank at apoint adjacentthe bottom thereof preferably through the drain pipe I9, the latterserving the dual purpose of .a drain pipe and an inlet connection forthe lower end of the pipe 38 with the interior of the tank 5. The pipeor tube 38 is preferably constructed of copper'but may of course be madeof any other suitable material. A drain or draw-off valve 39 is providedat the bottom of the secondary Vtank for drawing off the water thereofwhen desired and any suitable valve, not shown, may be profv vided forcontrolling the iiow .of cold water through the pipe 3'I into the.secondary tank The improved water heater and incinerator hereinbeforedescribed has been .found by actual test to be highly advantageous inoperation. Without the burning of refuse in .the incinerator chamber,the water in the secondary tank was heated to a substantial extent bythe vent gases from the primary tank and there was no condensation ofthe burnt gases in the chamber between .the tanks.

It appears that releasing the vent gases from the relatively smalldiameter vent flue of the primary tank into a comparatively large andcomparatively Warm chamber, obviates the .condensation which resultsWhenever it is attempted to extract more heat from the burnt gases byextending the heat travel in any heating apparatus beyond `a certainpoint. When refuse was burned in the incinerator, this resulted in afurther rise in temperature in the secondary tank.

What is claimed is:

l. A double tank water heater and incinerator including a casing, alower storage tank located within the casing for the primary heating otwater, a secondary heating tank located within the casing above theprimary storage tank and spaced therefrom to provide a comparativelylarge intervening space between the tanks, an ash pit located within theintervening space and arranged above the primary storagetank and spacedfrom the casing to provide passages for causing burnt gases to passacross the bottom of the ash pit and up the sides thereof and over thetop of the same, an incinerator chamber arranged over the ash pit inspaced relation with the same and of a diameter substantially equal tothe interior of the casing and having an open grate for causing theburnt gases to pass through the incinerator chamber for drying refuse, aburner located beneath the primary storage tank, and a flue ofcomparatively small diameter extending upwardly through the pris marystorage tank from the bottom to the top thereof for passing burnt gasesfrom the burner through the storage tank and for causing the burnt gasesto pass around the ash pit and through the incinerator chamber andexpand before contacting with the secondary tank, the expansion of theburnt gases preventing condensation and precipitation of moisture andeX- tending the heating range of burnt gases and enabling an increasedamount of heat to be extracted from burnt gases.

2. A double tank water heater and incinerator including a casing, alower primary storage tank located within the casing, a secondaryheating tank arranged within the casing above the primary storage tankand spaced therefrom to provide a comparatively large intervening spacebetween the tanks, an ash pit located within the intervening space aboveand spaced from the primary storage tank and having a space therearoundto provide passages for causing burnt gases to pass across the bottom ofthe ash pit and up the sides thereof and over the top of the same, anincinerator chamber arranged over the ash pit in spaced relation withthe same and of a diameter substantially equal to the interior of thecasing and having an open grate for causing the burnt gases to passthrough the incinerator chamber for drying refuse, a burner locatedbeneath the primary storage tank, and a ue of comparatively smalldiameter extending upwardly through the primary storage tank from thebottom to the top thereof for passing burnt gases from the burnerthrough the primary storage tank and for causing the burnt gases to passaround the ash pit and through the incinerator chamber and expand beforecontacting with the secondary heating tank, said casing being providedat the intervening space between the tanks with an opening communicatingwith the outside atmosphere for furnishing draft to the incineratorchamber and for permitting the escape of burnt gases should the meansfor connecting the water heater and incinerator with the chimney becomeclogged.

3. A double tank water heater and incinerator including a casing, alower storage tank located within the casing for the primary heating ofwater, a secondary heating tank located within the casing above theprimary storage tank and spaced therefrom to provide a comparativelylarge intervening space between the tanks, an incinerator chamberlocated in said space and spaced from the secondary tank and comprisinga horizontal grate and walls extending upwardly from the grate andhaving a door for the introduction of refuse into the incineratorchamber, said grate providing passages for burnt gases, a burner locatedbeneath the primary storage tank and a flue of comparatively smalldiameter extending upwardly through the primary storage tank from thebottom to the top thereof for passing burnt gases from the burnerthrough the storage tank and for causing the burnt gases to pass throughthe incinerator and expand before contacting with the secondary tank,the expansion of the burnt gases preventing condensation andprecipitation of moisture and extending the heating range of burnt gasesand enabling an increased amount of heat to be ex* tracted from theburnt gases.

MICHAEL J. TIERNEY.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date Re. 13,143 Dube Aug. 16, 1910 1,308,989 Mueller, Jr. July 8,1919 2,120,165 'Iierney June 7, 1938

